Early Childhood Education / Special Education

Program Codes: BAQECESE
Bachelor of Arts

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Education at Mercyhurst University is to develop teachers who are intellectually and spiritually sensitive, professionally and socially responsible; namely, those who seek to bring out these same qualities in their own students. To accomplish this mission, our teacher preparation program enables pre-service teachers to facilitate growth in intellectual curiosity, self-confidence, knowledge, responsibility, and interpersonal relationships.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

The Education Department Early Childhood/Special Education faculty has developed six-broad based learning outcomes that serve as the framework for the program’s curriculum. Upon completion of the pre-service teacher preparation program, graduates will be able to:

  • Create and facilitate a quality lesson plan.
  • Articulate a personal teaching philosophy statement.
  • Assess Pre-4 Early Childhood and Pre-8 Special Education student performance.
  • Demonstrate personal ethical and professional standards in a school setting.
  • Plan for and implement differentiated instruction for students with special needs in a PreK-4 Early Childhood and PreK-8 Special Education.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of best practices associated with child development, teaching and learning in a PreK- 4 Early Childhood and PreK-8 population.

Certification Programs

Undergraduate degrees leading to teacher certification from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are available in the following areas: Art Education K-12; Early Childhood Education PreK-4; Early Childhood Education PreK-4/Special Education PreK-8; World Language Education K-12 (French, Spanish), and Music Education K-12. 

Accreditation

All Certification Programs have full accreditation endorsements by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The State Board of Education adopted changes that affect all of PA’s teacher certification programs by adding 9 credits or 270 hours or equivalent combination for adaptations and accommodations for diverse students in an inclusive setting and 3 credits or 90 hours or equivalent combination to meet the instructional needs of English Language Learners. New regulations for certifying teachers became effective on January 1, 2013.

Minor

The Education Department offers a minor in Special Education PreK-8.

Admission

All students intending to complete a Bachelor Degree in Education must make formal application for admission to the Education Department during the spring semester of their sophomore year, or upon completion of 48 credits of university level study. Those students earning teacher certification in Secondary Education 7-12 or K-12 Education must make formal application in the specific academic department in their area of study. Transfer students must complete one Mercyhurst Education course prior to applying for admission.

All students must meet the published admissions criteria. Admission to an Education program constitutes admission to the Education Department. Dismissal from an Education program constitutes dismissal from the Education Department. Mercyhurst University complies with the Pennsylvania Department of Education regulations for teacher certification. Should these regulations change, Mercyhurst will change requirements accordingly and students will be responsible for meeting the new guidelines for program completion and certification.

Procedures for Admission Review

Minimum requirements for admission to the Education Program are:

  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0
  • Completion of 6 university credits in Mathematics
  • Completion of 6 university credits in English (3 credits in writing and 3 credits in literature)
  • Completion of 48 credit semester hours 
  • As of August 1, 2015 (as per House Bill 1816/Act 168) all students must meet the Basic Skills Testing Requirements as outlined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education

Students eligible for admission to the Education Program have their applications examined as follows:

  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or alternative is required for admission to the program
  • Students who meet the standards for admission present their portfolios to their advisors
  • If portfolios are complete, students are unconditionally accepted into the program

Retention

Students placed on any kind of probationary status by the admission/retention committees of the Early Childhood Education, Secondary, or Special Education Departments may not enroll in any Education Department courses unless specifically approved by the Chair of the Education Department.

A student receiving a final evaluation of unsatisfactory in any course clinical experience may not enroll in any other Education Department course until the department faculty agree to permit the student to repeat the clinical experience and such is completed at a satisfactory level by the student.

A student may be dismissed from the Education Department should they receive, at the conclusion of either the first or second half of the Capstone Clinical assignment, an evaluation of unsatisfactory. The final determination of unsatisfactory performance in the Capstone Clinical program is made by the university supervisor, the Director of Field Placements and the Chair of the Education Department.

Mandated Grading Scale

The faculty in the Education Department uses a unified grading scale in the assessment of student achievement in all education courses. Above average grades will be reserved for “exemplary” work only.

100-95 % (A) 94-90% (B+) 89-85 % (B) 84-78% (C+) 77-70 % (C) 69-65 % (D+) 64-60 % (D) Below 60 % (F)

Clinical Experiences

All students will complete the Capstone Clinical; a vital experience in the program of the emerging professional educator. As part of the Capstone Clinical experience, each student will present an accepted Professional Portfolio. Capstone Clinical assignments/placements are the responsibility of the university. To avoid conflicts of interest, a candidate will normally not be assigned to districts from which he/she graduated or to districts in which he/ she permanently resides or to schools in which an immediate family member is employed.

Most course offerings of the Education Department require that a student successfully complete an assigned clinical experience in order to pass the academic course. Students who register for courses with a clinical experience are required by PA state law to obtain ACT 24/82, ACT 34, ACT 114 and ACT 151 clearances, a clear TB test and the Mandatory Reporter Training Course. Copies of these clearances must be presented to the course instructor during the first week of class and submitted to the Education Office.

Information on obtaining these clearances can be found in the Education Office or on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website at: https://www.education. pa.gov/Educators/Clearances/Pages/default.aspx. Effective December 31, 2014, employees who have direct contact with children will be required to obtain new clearances every 36 months.

The nature of a course (location, number of hours, types of assignments, number of visits, student responsibility, etc.) is determined by the specific subject matter and content of the academic course. Specific information concerning a course clinical is found in the course syllabus.

An unexcused absence from an assigned course clinical and/or an unsatisfactory final clinical evaluation from either the course instructor or the classroom clinical supervisor will result in a grade of “F” for the course and the student being given notice of automatic placement on final probationary status within the specific department and the Education Department.

Capstone Clinical

Students accepted in the Education Department must make formal application for Capstone Clinical assignments at least one year prior to the semester in which they expect to do the Capstone Clinical experience. All assignments will be for a fourteen-week period. Capstone Clinical is done during the fall semester or the spring semester.

EDEC 475: Early Childhood Education PreK-4   

ECSP 475: Early Childhood Education PreK-4/ Special Education PreK-8           

EDUC 475: Secondary Education (Art/Music/World Languages)

After the application has been received and approved, each student accepted will be granted a conditional Capstone Clinical assignment. All Capstone Clinical assignments are conditional upon the academic results of the previous semester. Students accepted into the Capstone Clinical program must follow the rules and regulations governing admission/retention in this program.

Final approval for Capstone Clinical will be sent to students who have:

  • Maintained a minimum GPA overall average as documented in their Admission Review Process
  • Unconditional admittance status
  • Removal of all special conditions on record as part of retention activities

The Department will recommend for program completion and teacher certification only those candidates who have met the following requirements:

  • Recommendation from the major Department
  • Satisfactory Capstone Clinical
  • Satisfactory attendance record: no late arrivals, early exits, or unexcused absences
  • Attendance at all scheduled seminar meetings
  • Possession of desirable professional and personal qualities

At any time during the Capstone Clinical assignment(s), unsatisfactory performance as determined by the University supervisor the Director of Field Placements and/or the Chair of the Education Department may result in a student being withdrawn from the course with a final grade of “F” and dismissal from the Education Department. It is the responsibility of the student to have knowledge of and be in compliance with all existing Pennsylvania State rules and regulations for certification.

Application for Capstone Clinical

All eligibility requirements must be completed and forwarded to the Director of Field Placements by the designated date to qualify:

  • Successful completion of student application
  • Maintenance of cumulative GPA of 3.0 required at the time of your admission to the Teacher Education program
  • Act 24/82 Form Act 34 and Act 151 Clearances Act 114 FBI Criminal History Clearance
  • Completion of the Mandatory Reporter Training Course
  • Clear TB test
  • Completion of all major methods courses and liberal studies science courses
  • Advisor’s recommendation and signature
  • Some programs have standards above the minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA and/ or course grade expectations above the minimum grade of C. Each candidate should consult with his/her advisor for information about specific program requirements related to qualifications for the Capstone Clinical.

Dismissal of a Candidate from Capstone Clinical Placement

Purpose

To establish reasons or a process for removal of a candidate from the Capstone Clinical assignment. The first two items are consistent with Act 34, Criminal Record Check; the third item establishes a procedure for removing a student if the candidate’s behavior is not consistent with appropriate expectations of the school district; the fourth item establishes a process and assures that the student learns of unsatisfactory progress as early as possible; and the fifth item is an appeal process.

Policy

Students ultimately are guests of the cooperating school districts and may be removed at the request of the principal/superintendent.

A student may also be removed by Mercyhurst University from the student assignment for any of the following reasons:

  • If indicted for a felony, which is covered in the School Code and Act 34, there shall be a removal of the student from the school assignment until the matter is cleared. When the student is cleared of the indictment, the capstone clinical assignment will be extended to cover the time missed.
  • If convicted of a felony, which is covered in the School Code and Act 34, the student will be withdrawn from the capstone clinical assignment and will forfeit the time spent during the assignment.
  • If behavior exhibited by the student is not acceptable to the school district, it should be documented by the school administrator/principal in collaboration with the cooperating teacher, the University supervisor/coordinator, and the Director of Field Placement. If, after discussion with the student, improvement is evident, the Director of Field Placement will take no further action.
  • If it is determined by the cooperating teacher or university supervisor that the teaching competency of the student is at an unsatisfactory level based on the teaching competencies indicated on the evaluation form and not in the best interest of the students, a three-way conference of cooperating teacher, university supervisor, and the student will be held to discuss the concern, possible outcomes, and remedial strategies.
  • If, after consultation with the university Director of Field Placement, removal from this capstone clinical placement is necessary, the Director of Field Placement and the Chair of the Education Department shall take this action. This behavior should be documented and discussed in the Capstone Clinical experience as early as possible.

Decisions made under this policy may be appealed to the Dean of the Hafenmaier College.

Transfer Students

Transfer students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degree at Mercyhurst University and teacher certification are required to take a minimum of one -half of the Education Department Course requirements and one-half of the certification content area course requirements at Mercyhurst University. Transfer students holding a Bachelor Degree from accredited institutions other than Mercyhurst may receive Mercyhurst University recommendation for teacher certification upon completion of all requirements established on the basis of an evaluation of prospective candidates’ academic and experiential credentials by both the Chairperson of the Education Department and the Department Director of the certification area.

Factors considered in this evaluation include: date of course work, date of degree, and compatibility of academic and experiential credentials with the current academic and professional education requirements of the certificate.

Non-Traditional Students

Access to education programs leading to certification is available for adults planning mid-career changes, certified persons wishing to add new areas to their certificate, and the self-support students who must work while completing a program. The non-traditional student should meet with an Education Department faculty advisor to develop a plan of study that utilizes a variety of options for completion of certification requirements. The non-traditional student must meet all admission/retention standards of the Education Department as well as all the specific standards of the program offering the certification program.

K-12 Education Major

Teacher certification for grades Kindergarten through grade 12 is available in the following academic areas of study: Art (K-12), World Language (French, Spanish (K-12)), Music (K-12). K-12 Education majors must fulfill the requirements for admission to the K-12 Education Program and to the selected academic department of the major.

Students who are seeking certification in any of the K-12 education areas must complete the prescribed courses in their major area and the education courses listed below. All of the education courses must be taken in sequence, and must be completed before a student can begin the Capstone Clinical (see below). All Capstone Clinical assignments will be for a twelve-week period. The Capstone Clinical experience is typically during the fall and spring semesters. Final approval for the Capstone Clinical will be sent to students who have successfully met the requirements listed by the Department of Education, recommendation from the major Department, and possession of desirable professional and personal qualities as evidenced by successful completion of all clinical experiences.

Sophomores are required to make formal application for admission to the K-12 Education Program during the spring semester of that school year. Application for admission into the K-12 Education program beyond the sophomore year may result in extending the normal four-year university period for meeting graduation/certification requirements.

LEVEL I - Freshman/Sophomore Years

ESPE 101      Psychology of Diverse Learner                         3 credits

WL 101          Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners   3 credits

LEVEL II - Sophomore Year

EDUC 210     Comparative Issues in Education                       3 credits

ESPE 201      Inclusive Practices PreK-8                                 3 credits

LEVEL III - Junior Year

Content area methods courses

ESPE 301      Supporting Literacy PreK-8                                3 credits

LEVEL IV - Senior Year

EDUC 474     Clinical - Secondary Education (K-12)                3 credits

EDUC 475     Capstone Clinical                                               12 credits

Early Childhood Education PreK - 4 / Special Education PreK - 8 Dual Major Degree Required Courses

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